Why Hiring a Day Of Wedding Coordinator is the Best Thing You Can Do

The wedding planning process starts with the big picture. You start by focusing on the overall ambiance and experience you want your guests to have. You’re working to select the perfect vendors to help you achieve your wedding day vision. But as you begin to get closer to your actual wedding day, your focus shifts to the smaller details.

You’re confirming rentals, creating seating arrangements, and figuring out how to get your bridal party from the ceremony site to the reception venue. All of a sudden you realize that multiple things need to be happening at the same time. And since you need to be getting ready, you don’t know how you’re going to be able to manage everything.

Photography by Ben Tran Photography

Importance of a Wedding Coordinator

Without a wedding coordinator, as the bride you end up being the contact person. You’re the one making sure everyone’s on time, answering vendor questions, and handling all the little emergencies that pop up. Managing all that can be very stressful and takes away from you spending time with friends and family.

What do you do?

Enlist the assistance of a day of wedding coordinator. However, the concept of a day of wedding coordinator is often misunderstood. Today I want to dive into what I do as a wedding coordinator and what that means to you as a couple.

Photography by Yanique Bonelli Photography

What is a Day Of Wedding Coordinator?

Though this is a common term, it’s not correct. There’s no such thing as a day of wedding coordinator. The more suitable term is month of wedding coordinator. With all the details and moving parts involved in making a wedding day happen, advanced planning is necessary to get all the logistics coordinated.

You’ve spent countless numbers of hours planning the details and working with vendors to create your wedding day. As a day of wedding coordinator, my job is to make sure your wedding day turns out to be exactly how you imagined it. From vendor arrival times to putting out your favors to the cleaning up your decor, I take care of it all.

Photography by Lauren Fair Photography

I planned my own wedding. Why do I need to use a day of wedding coordinator?

Peace of mind.

The goal of wedding coordination services is to make sure no one bothers the couple. As a former bride and event planner, I get it. I planned my own wedding and goodness gracious, was I grateful to have a coordinator swoop in when unexpected surprises arose. Because no matter how airtight your wedding plan, there are a lot of pieces to keep in formation.

A wedding coordinator takes care of all that for you. They serve as the point of contact for your vendors. They manage the timeline and oversee the set up and breakdown. Most importantly, deal with all the unexpected things that occur. They give you the freedom and space to savor your wedding day.

It doesn’t matter if you:

thought you could do it all on your own and then realize a few months before your wedding that you could benefit from a wedding coordinator’s expertise

plan your wedding on your own with the intention of hiring a day of wedding coordinator

realize you’d rather have your mom or maid of honor by your side instead of having them deal with the nitty-gritty details

The beauty of day of coordinators is that they can step in any point in the planning process.

Brides Tip: There’s no “right” time to book wedding coordination services. I begin working with brides anywhere from two months to a year or more before their wedding. The sooner you hire a wedding coordinator, the easier it is for them to help you think through all the details.

Photography by Lauren Fair Associates

What Does a Day Of Wedding Coordinator Do?

Most of the time when people ask what I do on the wedding day, my response is “what don’t I do?!” But it’s true. I’m carrying bouquets, altering bridesmaid dresses, fixing boutonnieres, cueing the wedding party down the aisle, placing photos, and lighting sparklers for your grand exit. The tasks of a day of wedding coordinator can be broken down into pre-wedding and day of tasks.

Pre- Wedding Tasks

Meeting with bride and groom to understand their vision

Conducting a walkthrough of your venue

Creating and distributing wedding day timeline to vendors

Determining the order of the ceremony

Running your rehearsal

Day Of Tasks

Getting your bridesmaid’s dress altered, so she doesn’t fall walking down the aisle

I have a Venue Coordinator. Do I Need a Day Of Wedding Coordinator?

The biggest myth about day of coordinators is that you don’t need one. When brides are told their reception includes a venue coordinator, they often confuse that with a coordinator. But venue coordinators and wedding coordinators have different jobs.

One thing that’s easy to forget is that so much happens before your even get to your reception venue. A venue coordinator isn’t going to be with you when you’re getting ready. They won’t be able to get your bridesmaid’s dress altered because it’s too long or track down the driver who’s running late.

If you don’t have a day of wedding coordinator, your bridesmaids, mom or even worse you will end up having to handle everything. Though these special ladies are a part of your bridal party, remember they’re guests too. You want them to have fun, relax, and be able to spend time with you.

Wedding Coordination Services

Whether you initially included a day of wedding coordinator in your wedding budget or not, they can be a lifesaver for couples. They work closely with you in the days leading up to the wedding to make sure all the details are in place. They’re in constant communication with your vendors and the venue coordinator on your wedding day. They’ll be there to make sure your mom doesn’t miss you cutting the cake and that everything is in place for your grand exit. Ultimately, a day of wedding coordinator will allow you to relax and experience the wedding you spent months planning.

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Hello, I’m Jenna!

A PHILADELPHIA-BASED WEDDING COORDINATOR

Welcome to the JTE blog, where I share my favorite weddings and insider tips to make your wedding day simply swoon-worthy. Grab a cup of coffee (cream and sugar for me, please) and enjoy a virtual peek into my color-coded planning binder.